Norfolk Broads pubs battling 'disruptive' stag and hen dos

Rowdy clientele not welcome: the Norfolk Broads are popular with stag and hen dos

Pubs on the Norfolk Broads are battling disruptive behaviour by stag and hen parties.

Up to 30 pubs along the boating holiday destination attract large parties of young men and women during the main season, with a minority causing problems.

Groups of young men and women hire large boats and travel along the Broads waterways, stopping off at pubs on the way.

The problem has been highlighted by a recent incident believed to involve up to 30 young men stripping a groom and urinating on him in front of pubgoers.

Geoffrey Clinch of the Dog Inn at Ludham said incidents can be a problem for about 30 pubs on the Broads.

He said: “Some groups are lovely but a minority are disruptive, they swear and they get sick. They have been a bit of a problem.

“If they’re sober they are let in, if not they aren't served. It’s down to the landlords to monitor the situation.”

Mr Clinch said the situation had been getting worse in recent years.

Blown out of proportion

Other publicans say the number of rowdy incidents has been blown out of proportion.

The Acle Bridge Inn is on one of the boating routes. Landlord Philip Hammon said: “I’ve been here for 10 years and I can count the number of incidents on one hand.

“We welcome stag nights, it's part of what we do on the Broads.”

He added that stag and hen parties bring a lot of money into the local pubs.

“We do not accept rowdy, inappropriate behaviour. If groups are disruptive they are warned, nine times out of 10 they heed the warning, if not they are asked to leave.

“It's down to how you deal with them.

“Groups are taken through appropriate behaviour when they pick up the boats. There are some, of course, that don’t heed warnings.”

Most stag and hen parties take place on the Broads between April and August.

Attract the wrong clientele

The manager of the Lion at Thurne, Ben Gleason, said he had not seen a stag or hen group in the past nine weeks but added: “In my opinion, you reap what you sow. If you promote the wrong product, like shots, you attract the wrong clientele.”

Groups coming into family-orientated pubs tend to see fewer incidents as groups move on, he said.

Boat hire company Richardson's says it gives appropriate advice to everyone, not just large groups. Its website includes a long list of safety tips for boaters.